Beyond The Known Realms Shinigami Arc
by Viron Etora
Summary: A mysterious encounter leads Ichigo and the gang into a downward spiral that they could very well lose themselves in. Can they hold together and complete their final mission? Ichihime Renruki OC
1. The Known Realm's

**Beyond the Known Realms **

It was dead at night in the seemingly peaceful Karakura town, the sky burned with a billion stars that gleamed mystically against the water, the moon itself watched silently as Ichigo and friends walked along the river banks close to where his mother was killed. His eyes rose to the path ahead seeing a sudden gleam in the distance.

"Ichigo do you sense that?" Rukia said sounding shocked to her core by the pressure coming from the reiatsu nearby, Ichigo looked at Rukia confused then looked to Chad and Orihime.

"Do you guys feel anything?" they nodded no, as Orihime went to speak and spark of blue energy shot passed the group quickly being followed by Ishida and without thinking Ichigo instinctively chased after.

"Ichigo get your skinny ass back here!" Tatsuki yelled to Ichigo as the group followed him they quickly moved to the source of the reiatsu they see two shadowy figures locked in combat one wield a normal katana pushing the blade against a large black metal scythe holding the katana still.

"You Arrancar think you're so powerful but…" He looked at the Arrancar seeing untamed fear lying in his eyes. "YOU DRAW THAT POWER FROM THE SOULS OF YOUR VICTIMS, YOU STOLE EVERYTHING SOMEONE ELSE LIVED FOR, YOUR KIND DESERVE NO LOVE AND NO MERCY. JUST DIE!"

The scythe wielder then pushed his opponent's blade away with ease and within a blink of an eye slicing the Arrancar, evaporating as he split in two, Ichigo looked at the stranger trying to look at his face.

The stranger took a breath "Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora 'Chad' Sado, Rukia Kuchiki, Uryu Ishida and Tatsuki Arisawa" he turned to them lifting his head slightly his face covered by his long black hair only showing his left eye, they look at him feeling protective over each other Rukia felt slightly more afraid for herself wrapping her arms around her stomach feeling uncomfortable more so in the strangers presence with his eyes piecing in to her soul "Why are you all so surprised? I know more than your names. I know everything about you and the soul society, I know what you truly are" he said intimidating them through his seemingly simple words.

"Who are you?" Ichigo roars at the stranger, the man grins.

"You can call me… Fane for now, Shinigami." he suddenly dispersed in a vortex of reiatsu disappearing into the night.

Ichigo stayed up all night thinking about this Fane character, wondering if he'd passed him somewhere, finding him to be oddly familiar, "What's with that guy, he didn't feel right he felt different, and not the good kind" he thought to himself.

"I don't think we should challenge him ... yet" the dark angry hollow whispered "I'll only fight to protect" Ichigo thought making the hollow back down.

A sudden yet soft knock tapped at his bedroom door, Ichigo shot up in surprise even though the knock was quiet, but to him it sounded and felt like a shockwave of energy passing straight through him.

"Is that Inoue? No it can't be" he thought as he approached the door to inspect who it was, he reached out for the handle shaking not realising that it was over 24 hours since he last slept . his body thumped with the sounded of his heart as he slowly opened the door, suddenly he felt a heavy and impossible force wound him, he fell to the ground his sight blurred, voices around him became muffled "Ichigo! Help, Isshin!" He heard as he slowly faded into an unconscious state, the last thing he saw was a woman with unmistakeable auburn hair looming over him holding him in her arms.

He awoke to find himself in a forest wearing his Shinigami attire seeing only tree's and hearing whispers.

"Hello, is anyone there?" he yelled, only hearing an echo in response. Still hearing the slight whispers, he focused his mind on them, pinpointing the direction of said whispers, he began running towards it. As he moved in closer to the whispering, he was unable to understand the incoherent babble, he felt it was telling him something but unable to tell what it was, he looked out ahead seeing a clearing in the distance, instinctively he sped up heading into the clearing, the amount of light in the clearing blinded him, causing Ichigo to land in a large pond connected to a relatively small but wide waterfall , Ichigo jumped back up dazed it took only a few seconds for his vision to come back properly. "Where the fuck...?" Ichigo said, stunned at the beauty of his surroundings seeing several cherry trees hanging over the pond, although for cherry trees they were very large, one even looked like the braches had formed as a staircase for someone to walk up with its leaves sitting in a dip in the middle of the tree like a resting spot in for someone to lie in and let the world pass them by as they looked up towards the sunset that lasted forever he walked out of the water and sat against one of said trees.

"So you're here, I'm surprised I didn't have to come and find you, Ichigo. I'd figured you'd get lost in this place, but I'm impressed by you and that's only because I'm easily impressed." Ichigo got up looking around for the voice.

"Where are you Fane I Know it's you! Show yourself!"

"Some cheek you've got kid, beside for all I know you'll attack me on sight and no offence to you but I don't like people when they go attack me I get enough of that at home... anyway, if you would to meet face to face then I need your word regardless of what I ask and I swear I won't attack you unless need be, so what do you say, pretty please?" Fane said the last part with a mock effect to it.

"I don't know why Fane but I trust you so I give you my word." Ichigo said smiling at the unusual attitude given off by Fane.

The wind began to shift and centralize a few feet ahead of Ichigo, the wind then suddenly turned from nothing into reiatsu, the colouring effect of the reiatsu turned black and white as it localized in to the shape of a fairly well-built male. Fane stood in front of Ichigo, but not in a Shinigami's robe but in fact human clothing; a well fit outfit all together, on the lower half he wore a pair of black and white converse trainers with a pair of dark blue jeans and a black buckled belt with the words 'The Reaper' in gothic writing on the buckle itself, and on his upper half he wore a black long sleeve with the sleeves rolled up, on top of which, he wore a crisp, clean white shirt, also with his sleeves rolled up. On his right hand he wore four sliver rings; on his index finger he wore a skull ring, on his middle finger he wore a Celtic ring, sat on the finger next to it he wore a wedding ring and on the last of his fingers he wore a engraved ring with the words 'faith in others is all I ask' clearly showing sentimentality to it as his thumb ran over it, on his neck was the final effect a sliver detailed gothic cross.

"Well it's nice to meet you Ichigo the honour's mine." He spoke respectfully.

"Um thanks, but how do you know me, or the others for that matter?" He questioned.

"Ah, I was hoping you might not ask, but I suppose you deserve the truth after I dragged you here, oh sorry about that too."

"That was you, what the hell?"

"Again sorry, but it was the only way to talk to you without the Arrancars finding you or the others; if he gets his hands on any of you, especially you or Orihime, either one of you and we're fucked right up the ass." Fane said going off on a rant.

"What are you talking about, is there something I need to know? Tell me everything!" He demanded.

"In time, Ichigo, but for now you need to go home and understand some truths..." He looked to Ichigo with a smile.

"The first you'll need a push for; here's a clue, they're right beside you no matter what and that's pretty obvious to me and everyone anyway so please find out soon, k?"

Ichigo stood there in disbelief to what he heard from Fane. The black clothed man then headed in to the forest. "Hey Fane, I forgot to ask what's your name, your first name, I mean." Ichigo questioned once more.

"Oh yeah, completely slipped my mind too, the name's Michael, Michael Fane and I'm a Guardian from Beyond the Known Realms." He said, acting cool, shifting his sunglasses, which he pulled out of nowhere, slightly.


	2. The Plot Begin's

the light of the sun began to brighten the quiet karakura pushing away the darkness that held on to it, now after the events the day before Inoue hadn't left the Kurosaki house hold fearing for the unconscious Ichigo who had yet to awaken from a deep slumber, Ishin walked passed the door looking at a now asleep Inoue who resided on the floor next to Ichigo's bed thinking of how much she cared for his dense son.

"hey, dad" Yuzu whispered quietly as she tapped his shoulder, Ishin turned to his innocent wide eyed daughter.

"morning Yuzu what is it?" Ishin whispered to not wake anyone still asleep.

"there's a strange man at the door he asked to talk to you, but he wouldn't let me know what about" she said still whispering, Ishin hugged his daughter just before he headed down stairs to inspect who the 'strange man' was, Ishin put on a stern face as he approached an open door with Fane standing in the middle looking at the cross hanging around his neck.

"you said you need to talk?" Ishin questioned, snapping Fane to his attention.

"oh hey, I'm Michael but call me Fane, I know you so no need to tell me Mr Kurosaki " Fane throwing the normal greeting out of the window, Ishin looked at him with a scowl.

"why are you here and who sent you?"Ishin said calmly.

"I'm here to talk to you I need someone to give the soul society a message, without endangering them and without me running into the captain commander, at the moment they'll kill me on sight... so i need you too" Fane explained patiently,

"i cant leave right now not for anything my eldest son isn't well and I don't know what caused it, so you'll have to find someone else to do it." as Ishin went to close the door Fane pushed it open releasing high amounts of reaitsu.

"Ishin just think about" Fane then took control of his reaitsu as he left the Kurosaki house hold at a brisk pace.

"_I see Ichigo gets his strength from his old man, calm no matter the situation he'll do his best in the end" _Fane thought as he turned in to a nearby alley._  
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"Mr Kurosaki who was that?" a now awake Inoue questioned, Ishin turned with a smile on his face.

"nothing just some stranger, how are you Inoue" he questioned still baring his ridiculous smile.

"I'm ok I didn't want to leave Kurosaki-San alone but I felt something from down here that's what woke me up" Inoue explained rubbing her left eye.

Ishin closed the door cautiously making sure there wasn't anyone there this time to his luck there wasn't.

_"I'll let them know when Ichigo's awake" Ishin thought to himself._

meanwhile in the kitchen..._  
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"hey Karin have you noticed how close Ichigo and Orihime have gotten lately?" Yuzu Questioned.

"don't worry about it Yuzu it's probably nothing i wouldn't over think it" Karin answered Yuzu confidently.

"still... something up with them i can tell" Yuzu commented as she picked up a bowl of rice and chop sticks.

"I'm gonna go give Orihime some food then I'll come back and help with the dishes" Yuzu began walking out of the kitchen in to the living room seeing Inoue standing by the door with a note in her hand's, Yuzu placed the rice on the table for Inoue quietly not to frighten the off guard Inoue before doing anything.

"Orihime i brought some food for you." Yuzu spoke softly, the now alert Inoue placed the note in her pocket before turning to Yuzu with a smile on her face.

"thank you Yuzu I will eat it straight away" A now happy faced Inoue merrily said, Yuzu looked at Inoue with a slightly confused look.

"Are you ok Orihime you seem a little unsettled" Yuzu expected a foul answer, as she saw Inoue smile quiver, Inoue not noticing this herself as she proceed to lie.

"I'm fine, oh i just remembered i need to go home I forgot to do something yesterday" Orihime said as she headed to the door.

"b-but what about your food?" Yuzu questioned as Inoue opened the front door leading out to the street.

"don't worry i'll be back soon" Inoue said as she rushed out the door heading in the direction of her apartment, as she continued to walk to her place she felt the atmosphere sink, like it had yesterday when they ran across Fane fighting an Arrancar, the stench of death itself filled the outside of her apartment as she arrived at the door Inoue's expression turned sour as she felt the gaze of evil upon her.

"there's one of the target's he wants us to capture, her name is Orihime Inoue so far all we know is that she's in contact with the reaper or has been at least but be careful, she's meant to be very powerful according to the others he had interrogated" the arrancer commander explained to his squad of several of his kind before barking the final orders.

"now lets go have some fun" the now sinister faced commander ordered.


	3. The High Tide

In this chapter every time there is _italics_ they are Inoue's thoughts at that moment, just to to let readers know.

The High Tide.

Inoue rushed inside her apartment quickly shutting the door behind her, she then ran to the other end of the room, feeling a strong presence in outside.

_focus Inoue, I won't let them hurt anyone._

"I wont let who ever doing this get away"Inoue yelled as the Arrancar's ripped though her front door quickly out numbering her, five to one. "we've got you now little lady give up or die... slowly" the leader bellowed believing he'd won,but little did he know Fane was standing in the door way behind them.

"well well well Siffy he does like to get you to do his dirty work, doesn't he?" Fane interrupting in Siffater's little victory of out numbering a young woman.

_it's that guy from yesterday, is he with them?_

"Reaper. my lord told me that you'd come to they're aid, he also said that she reminds him of your little sister" Siffater hoping to press one of Fane's buttons, unluckily for him he had, Fane's expression now changed from slightly smug to a more serious angered look," you know Siffater your lord should have 'noted' about me" his voice deep, yet still calm.

_t-t-the note... of course._

Inoue's mind now flashing back to the note she had placed in her pocket,the note read:

I'm sorry for Ichigo's comatose state, don't worry about him he'll wake up very soon, also I'm sorry for what I ask next I need you find a reason to leave the Kurosaki home and head to your apartment quickly, there are Arrancar assassin's following you and your friends, almost all of them are dead the last of the assassins are extremely powerful, they were following Ichigo but with him out for the count they will go for the nearest target available. You. Don't worry I have a plan when at your apartment go to the end of the main room, the Arrancar's will most likely believe you will be off guard and completely alone after they enter I will follow quickly and quietly to cause a distraction then when they are off guard use your Fullbring on me, we'll just have to improvise the rest.

Michael Fane

"Santen Kesshun I reject!" Inoue shouted as she released her attack upon Fane hoping his plan would work

"Rise Swergwd" Fane summoned his scythe, "Fusion" he then yelled as his blade clashed with Inoue's attack, the bright orange energy from her attack now joining with his blade the metal now turning bright orange,quickly slicing two of the Arrancar's down, Inoue then used her Fullbring on the other two quickly destroying the other two now only Siffater remained with Fane holding his blade to his throat, "you've got one chance to tell me what I need to know or i will kill you" Fane aggressively stated"I-I'll tell you anything just please don't kill me" the scared Siffater shock with fear, "where is he and why is he attacking these innocent people, tell me!"Fane's hatred for the Arrancar becoming clear.

_the Arrancar's why does he hate them so much? what caused such intense rage?_

"h-h-he didn't tell us much b-but I know that he wants a way to alter the balance of the world" Fane then put pressure on the blade before questioning the scared Arrancar for a second time. "what does that have to do with these guy's? they are good people they don't deserve to have this"

Inoue gave look of surprise to his statement.

"h-he believes that if he has a good deal of power in this world he would be able to shape it as he feels, t-that's where they come in to play" Fane removed the scythe from Siffater's throat, "holy shit" Fane commented as he fell.

Inoue looked at Fane, "are you ok?" Inoue asked Fane, Fane snapped out of his trance quickly focusing on to her, "um... yeah, I'm fine, but you guys are gonna have some trouble heading your way, DAMN IT!" Fane yelled ramming his fist in to the nearest wall before heading to the door, "wait, what about him?" Inoue questioned worrying about the fearful Arrancar, "he can go back to his master, I wont hurt a demoralized buffoon and ... I'm sorry just so you know" Fane apologised, "It's okay," Inoue gracefully smiled causing Fane chuckled lightly, "hey don't you have a guy waiting for you at the Kurosaki house hold" Fane joked making Inoue blush, "hey how do you know about that!" Inoue questioned obviously feeling embarrassed, "ah, couldn't help myself you two do look like you'd make a cute couple anyway... and you know he's... well a bit stupid as the average guy can be" Fane explained grinning at the blushing auburn mess.

_oh, not fair Ichigo's my weakness he's just mean_

"anyway gotta go, Siffater just escaped and well I'm late... oh and thanks for trusting me the note was a bit of a long shot but, hell it paid off" He then quickly ran off disappearing as quickly as he appeared.

_... what's he late for?_


End file.
